Clueless in Italy

Pick up the RS book on Rome and then decide how long based on your interests. So many amazing things to see in town and Ostia is a nice day trip for some amazing ruins that are much closer than Pompeii, but if that is something you really want to see, you can make a LONG day of it as well. YMMV. I would recommend a food tour one evening just to be wowed by different samples of yum where you are wandering. I have been to Rome many times and have never tired of it.

Start with a good guide book, RS Italy
Until then lots of info here
Keep in mind RS itineraries are very fast paced

https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/italy

Rome for a first timer- 4-5 nights
You won’t run out of things to do

Or you could do the quintessential first trip to Italy
Venice 3 nights
Florence 3 nights
Rome 4 nights

Fly in to Venice out of Rome- look for multi city tickets ( not 2 one way)

Above easily done by train

We don’t use Airbnb and only consider apartments for long stays
With a hotel stay you have a 24/7 front desk to assist you with directions, calling,taxis, restaurant recommendations etc
They will hold your luggage before and after check in ( most apartments will not and check in is late in day)
Hotels provide breakfast as well, so no foraging for food

Monastery or convent stays are also a very good deal, budget friendly
https://www.monasterystays.com/

If your trip is in July of this year, you are very, very late to be just starting to plan now. It's not impossible, but the later it is, the more challenging it will be, with fewer good choices and higher prices (all the best options have been snapped up months ago). You have no time machine, so do what you can - you should start by understanding you're late, and will need to get going fast. This is an especially challenging year to visit Rome, things will be more crowded and more expensive than usual, but you can't change that.

Do you have your flights yet?

If I were you, I'd literally run to a bookstore right now and get the latest Rick Steves book on Italy or on Rome, clear your schedule and study up ASAP. Prepare to invest some time. Beware of what passes for wisdom on the internets. 4-5 days for Rome may indeed be ideal, but it all depends on many factors - and it's your trip, so you get to decide. You certainly won't run out of things to do and see in 4 or 5 or even 10 days in Rome, that should not be your worry. That said, with more time, Italy offers many wonderful destinations beyond Rome. For starters, you can check the recommended itineraries and attractions on this website. Look here:
Home / Explore Europe / Italy

But get crackin'...time is short and your trip is looming. Giddyup!

Agree with above that you are late to be booking but there will be places with availability

Get your flights booked first
While flying in to one city out of another saves time/backtrackknh it’s not always possible
Round trip Rome can work-just put all your Rome nights at the end and plan to travel onward on arrival to a first destination (Florence, for example)
Important thing is to be in your departure city the night before departure
Trains are easy and we can help with that

I would get itineray lined up ASAP then start searching on Booking.com
Use the filters for budget, location amenities etc
You must have AC in July!

Yes, this is very late planning for July. But, tell us what you’re wanting to see & do. Rome is more expensive than other nearby cities. Can you share your interests? You may love being in some of the less expensive (and less crowded) cities , along with some days in Rome.

Don't book the flight if you have not already. Use the time to properly plan, reading a travel guide book. This is too last minute for an inexperienced traveler. Most of the people here don't consider 53 old and many are over that age and traveling all the time.

Don’t book your current timetable.
Book for October-November. It will still be warm.
11 days minimum.
6 Roma. Look at staying in Trastevere.
4 Firenze. We loved this place https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/11588660
We are 76/67.
Really learn how to use AirBnB.
There are many inexpensive restaurants in both cities. Yelp and TripAdvisor are helpful.

I agree with everyone so far--pump the brakes and take some time to plan. I think September is the best time to travel in Europe, and you might still be able to find some nice accomodations then. Four days in Rome is perfect. We found an affordable Airbnb south of Piazza Navona that wasn't the best, but was in a perfect location, within walking or scooting distance to everything. Do 3 days in Tuscany (we loved Montepulciano, but Siena might have more options for accommodation), and 3-4 days in Florence, and fly out from there. We rented a car in Rome and dropped it in Florence (taxi'd to hotel from car drop-off) and found that very easy--just like driving anywhere else. Otherwise, you can take trains! I hope you have a happy honeymoon!

Dyna & Mike,

I agree with many of the suggestions already provided, but have some to add.

• How long is your trip in total?
• Are you interested in seeing other cities in Italy on this trip?
• This doesn't have to be your last time coming to Italy, as you're not that old.
• I definitely agree with previous suggestions to buy a copy of the Rick Steves Italy guidebook ASAP!. With the guidebook you'll be able to figure out which sights interest you the most so you can plan efficient touring without wasting any time.
• Especially coming from Hawaii, I'd suggest leaving your first day free for "light touring" as you'll be recovering from jet lag.
• I always use "open jaw" flights, inbound to one city and outbound from another. Especially with really short itineraries, that avoids the time and cost of returning the starting point.
• Especially for a first trip, I wouldn't bother with car rentals, as the trains and buses are so easy and the high speed trains are much faster than any car.
• It's important to do some research on using the trains in Italy as there are some potentially expensive caveats to be aware of. I believe the guidebooks provide the details but if not, post another question here and it will be answered.
• I prefer to stay in hotels, as vacation rentals are not ideal for a solo traveller, and I like having desk staff that can help with local sightseeing, good restaurants or whatever. The RS guidebooks have listings for good, reliable hotels.
• Check your Passports to ensure that you have enough time remaining before they expire..... "To enter and stay in Italy, your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your planned departure date from the Schengen area."
• If you want further suggestions about your Itinerary, post it here and I'm sure the group will have lots of good suggestions.

July tends to be hot and busy, so I also concur with the others that you'll need to get cracking and get some arrangements in place soon.

Just to clarify, you are considering spending 10 days in Rome?

Honestly, that is twice as long as you need to see the city, and there is so much more to see - cities you might even like better, like Florence - with some of that time. I am going to warn you that it will likely be VERY hot in Rome in July. Just be prepared, and take hats, umbrellas, cool clothing, etc. (keeping in mind that bare shoulders and thighs on women must be covered up when going into places like St. Peter's Basilica but they will give your wife a piece of tulle fabric to "cover up" with if she is wearing shorts or tank top.)

It will be a little bit cooler either north, in the Tuscan hills, or towards the coast so maybe pick a second city within a couple of hours from Rome and spend a few days there.

(You're NOT old, BTW, I'm 62 and about to make my third trip to Italy in September.)

Not saying this is the best way to do it, but we stayed in Rome for three days. The high speed train system was phenomenal and easy to book tickets online. Took a train to Florence and stayed there 3 days. Fell in love with it. While there, we took a short train ride to Pisa and back to get a pic of us holding up the Leaning Tower and climb it. (Skipped nearby Lucca.) Took the train from Florence to Venice and enjoyed three days there, including a romantic gondola ride (well away from the busy/rippling/wavy Grand Canal). Venice had the best gelato, in my humble opinion. We returned to Rome for another day before heading out on a cruise. Hotel Smeraldo was outstanding. Their breakfast is to die for. Also, conveniently located across the street from the hotel is Roscioli, which had the best (and reasonably priced) pizza, bread and pastries I've ever had. It was tough to leave Italy. Whatever you do, enjoy your honeymoon!

After 18 trips to Italy I agree with most of the advice given. From my perspective, (86 years old) you are not old. Don’t let age shape your trip. However, I live on the Pacific Coast and found the travel time for my last trip kind of brutal, even in business class. Add 6 (?) hours to HI, ugh!
Definitely do an open jaw flight, also known as multi city. Not only is 10 days in Rome too much, in July Rome is likely to be scorching. I recommend getting a hotel with ac.

Absolutely make sure your hotel in Rome has AC. You don’t want to rely on open windows in that heat, plus Rome is NOISY (I’m talking street sweepers backing up at 3 am and trash collection at 10 pm on the Sunday we were there).

Clueless where “Clueless” went after this post.

Not Rome. Too dang hot then.

Consider Flying into Milan and over to the Cinque Terre by way of Lucca for a memorable romantic trip.

So, it’s June 2 and you haven’t responded since your first post. Hopefully you bought a couple of guidebooks and was able to either change your dates of potential travel. You say you live in Hawaii which is very expensive and are on a budget. Many of us too travel in budgets. My wife and I live in one of the most expensive zip codes in the USA, are definitely not Mr & Mrs moneybags, yet we travel every year to Italy, mainly to visit family and friends and also to visit other areas. You say you’ll never be to Italy again because you’re old at 53. Im almost 60, have been traveling for more than 30 years of my life. One cannot expect in this day and age to just up and go visit a tourist destination such as Italy on such short notice unless one has loads of money to spare. It’s just not a way to travel. One must plan these things ahead of time. For this trip to Italy, we’re here now, we bought our plane tickets back in February and booked our hotels in Greece in March. That’s pretty much the extent of our planning because we mainly go to Greece for the beaches even though we live in a place with 86 miles of beaches within 20 minutes of our home.
You don’t say what you like either. Beaches, museums, old churches, meandering in baroque towns, hikes in mountains, wine tastings. Italy has all of that and more, much, much, more, but that all takes planning way in advance. I’m sorry if this seems like a lesson, well, that’s because it sort of is. I’d really hate for you to not enjoy your travels because you did t plan ahead. That’s key. Good luck and happy travels